Incredible Hulk #329
March 1987
Story -- Al Milgrom
Pencils -- Al Milgrom
Inks -- Danny Bulanadi
Letters -- Rick Parker
Colors -- Petra Scotese

"Outcasts!"

Once Quartermain and SHIELD has accessed, through some testing, that Banner is not the New Hulk, he gives Banner some room. However, he still suspects that Banner is not telling him about everything that happened since their encounter with the New Hulk and Zzzax.

Now we find Rick. And since I know how popular Rick is on this forum, I'll forgo Rick going over his life story for the next few pages. I did find this page interesting though, and especially the last two panels. Take a look at the clothes Milgrom has on Rick and then think where he is at. And he even writes in story, the bus driver making a point about where Rick asks to get off the bus. Maybe it's like the Simpsons where they always draw them in the same clothes, and this was just something that slipped by logic and editors. Or maybe it was just the fashion then.


When Rick reaches the hidden lab that Banner told him to meet him at, he is set upon by many different bizarre creatures. They appear to be animals native to the desert, but they are bi-pedal and can speak. The leader, Rattilore, tells Rick of their origins. Which just happen to coincide with Banner's as the Hulk. Rattilore says that because of their mutations, the other animals tried to attach and kill them. And when they tried to "wise-speak" to men, the feared and hunted them. So they found the lab and remained hiding in there waiting for "the great green one". Rick tries to tell them that just like Hulk, he too is a "Hulk" as well. But Rattilore doesn't believe him and does not trust men. So he is going to lock Rick away until the great green one returns. But before that can happen, the sun goes down and Rick becomes a Hulk, and they accept him too, as one of the Outcasts. Next if a couple page long montage of clique feel good comedy snaps shots of Rick/Hulk in day and night with the Outcasts in friendly play and companionship.

Banner plans to met up with Rick at a secret lab that he has in the desert. When Banner meets up with Betty before leaving the base, he tells Betty about Rick and that he hadn't told Quartermain because he feared what they would do to Rick. So he tells Betty he's going to meet up with Rick. But in his haste to not leave Rick in the lurch, he forgets about Betty, leaving her behind. So Quatermain has an agent tagged the truck Banner took with a tracker and they proceed to follow him. Betty however isn't going to be left behind and she tags along as an unseen hitchhiker on one of the SHIELD armored vehicles.

Next we have one page mystery that's better to be read, than for me to try and explain it... (cause to be honest, I don't even remember where this is going after all these years)


Thereafter Bruce makes it to the hidden lab just before sunset. As Rick tries to explain who the Outcasts are and that they are friends of his and the Hulk, Quartermain and his men arrive and start firing on Rick (now the Hulk), Banner and the Outcasts. Of course, Rick-Hulk (that maybe the best the thing to call him while I try and tell this part of the story) attacks Quartermain and his agents, but not before many Outcasts are killed and hurt by Quartermain's attack

As a side note .... Rick-Hulk smashed the ground, destroyed the armored tanks, and then used them to "scoop" up all the agents and throw them into the nearby lake, and then hurling what was left of the tanks the other way. The other agents that avoided this then retreat into the night back to the base. Not since one panel on page 15, showing Betty on the back of one of the armored tanks, is she mentioned. Where was she? What happened to her? I don't remember if this is said in the next issue or if Milgrom forgot that she was hitching a ride.

After the agents flee, Rattilore tells Rick-Hulk that he has to leave. Many Outcasts were killed and hurt and that he knows men will come back to hunt Rick-Hulk and hurt the Outcasts in the process. So Rick-Hulk agrees to leave so that the Outcasts can continue to live in the hidden lab and the caves and tunnels beneath, in a quite touching final page ...


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As I hate to be a critic, but this is a good story, a nice filler, I guess, but really bad art all around. Not so much in a sequential or proportional aspect; that it is competent in, but overall it just seems so bland or as if Milgrom didn't really put effort into it. Maybe it was him writing and doing the pencils that left one side of the coin lacking. But otherwise it's a good issue. I may not be a Rick Jones fan, and the whole concept of him being a Hulk (hey guess what, we don't know what the hell to do with Jones, as he's a boring character so let's make him a Hulk and see if he's relevant then). It's slowest part of the start to Peter David's run, and something he had to deal with in taking over, if this was indeed Milgrom's idea alone. Though it would be interesting to know how much of this was Milgrom, David or Marvel editorial staff as to Rick being a Hulk.

Next, I am going to need sterilized tweezers, a sterile room and latex gloves, because apparently Todd McFarlane's name has shot the next three issues through the roof since I bought them. Better hold my breath too just in case ... all for ....

"Head Games"

Incredible Hulk #331
May 1987
Story -- Peter David
Pencils -- Todd McFarlane
Inks -- Kim DeMulder
Letters -- Rick Parker
Colors -- Petra Scotese

"Inconstant Moon"

This is the issue guys. The best version of the Hulk ever created. :-) And the best color too.

Forgoing the recap of last issue, and the build up to the action, the Hulkbusters are out to hunt Rick-Hulk. Quartermain at first wasn't for it, but thinking on calling in someone to pick up Ross' body, he realizes the state his superiors will see the gamma base in, so he decides to let the Hulkbuster go after Hulk. He also has the local authorities come pick up the body and take it into town to the morgue. There is a man, Sterns, who accompanies the ME to the gamma base to pick up Ross, that will play a part latter in the issue.

Between the battle between the Hulkbusters and Rick-Hulk and the battle between Betty and Bruce, there's a good mix of action and deterioration of Betty and Bruce's relationship. Bruce is determined to help Rick from being killed by the Hulkbusters (though only he and Betty know at this point) and rid him of the Hulk curse, that he is completely ignoring his wife. Bruce tries to explain his need to be a part of helping Rick, but all it comes off to Betty is an excuse to ignore her and their marriage.

The battle doesn't fair well for the Hulkbusters. Hikedo is attacked by Rick-Hulk, who intently hangs on to her craft and tries to rip it open to get to her. She is able to shake him, after some evasive maneuvers and smashing him into the side of a cliff. Martel and LaRoquette chase after Rick-Hulk who is now on back on his feet after crashing to the ground from Hikedo's smashing him into the side of the cliff.

When Sterns and the ME come to pick up Ross' body, Sterns notices Banner leaving the gamma base and follows him, after knocking the ME unconscious.

Back in town a man, by the name of Ramon, is at the police station with a picture of Betty inquiring if anyone has seen her. A policeman tells him that she lives with her husband at the gamma base. When the policeman asks Ramon who he is, he says "I'm her husband."

We return to the battle where Saunders and LaRoquette press the attack on Rick-Hulk once they know Hikedo is safely out of the way. But the Hulk jumps and ripping through the LaRoquette's (aka Rocky) ship he grabs him by the leg and tries to pull him out. Saunders comes about face and blasts Rick-Hulk with three armour piercing shells from less than five meters away. Rick-Hulk falls to the ground ... bleeding?


Martel, the one member of the Hulkbusters that doesn't want to kill Rick-Hulk but capture him, ejects an electrolyzed net over Rick-Hulk. But Saunders, annoyed at Martel's "patty cake" treatment of Rick-Hulk decides to go in for the kill while he's trapped under the net. But Rick-Hulk is waiting, and as soon as Saunders comes to close, he throws the net on Saunder's ship shorting out all the electricals, and sending him on a crash course to death. Fortunately, Saunders ejected from his shipped before it crashes. Rocky wants to press the attack, even though Rick-Hulk seems to be retreating, but Martel advises otherwise, with the condition the team is in and Rocky reluctantly agrees.

As the head back to the gamma base, we now go to where Banner is headed and figure out what he is doing. While he gets the gamma machines situated he muses about his relationship with the Hulk. And just she about to engage the equipment, he realizes he was tricked, by.... Here it is guys. The panel that starts the story of the best Hulk there ever was ....


Immediately Hulk begins to smash the gamma machines, thinking this is the only way that Banner could somehow get out, and all the while bragging to Banner that he was pulling his strings all along. He orchestrated this whole thing, just to trick Banner so he could get out, and get out for good. Keeping Banner forever imprisoned inside.

But when the Hulk walks outside of the room he sees the man we know as Stern. Stern curses the "grey imbecile" for destroying the gamma machine. But why? Well you can read the reveal for yourself.


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Yeah of course I am going to be pretty biased with this issue. Not that you couldn't already tell thus far. :-) There's not a whole lot of our new grey Hulk in this issue but I like that right out the park he's all ready trash talking Banner and proving he is a smart version of Hulk. Or at least the first (to my knowledge) up to this point. This Hulk always worked because he had the brains and ego to back up all his trash talking. He may have been weaker to a degree than the green Hulk, but his strategy, ingenuity and guerilla tactics in battle made him almost just as formattable as the brute strength of the green Hulk. This Hulk had so much more personality, and something to keep you interested, or at least me obviously, more than just random battle after battle with the green Hulk. I think that's why I particularly like the Fixit issues, as he adopted his own persona and not just being a different colored Hulk. Not that I don't like me some green Hulk. The late #200's and early #300's up to David taking over are some of my favorite green Hulk stories.

So yeah, it just gets better and better from here ... well I mean, unfortunately all good things must end. But at least until the last grey Hulk issue, it only gets better from here. If I say too much more I am going to sound like I'm gushing, if I am not already. So ....

Next --- "Dance With the Devil!"

Incredible Hulk #333
July 1987
Story -- Peter David
Pencils -- Todd McFarlane
Inks -- Pablo Marco
Colors -- Petra Scotese
Letters -- Rick Parker

"Quality of Life"

This is a surprise this made it to getting a CCA seal. Granted I read it probably ten years after it was printed, the first time I read it, but still, there's some pretty brutal stuff in here.

We start with two pages of setting up the story of a man named Mike and his wife Blaire. Mike is a physically and emotionally abusing asshole. Right off he starts in with the verbal abuse. By the end of the first page we see Blaire take a revolver out of a drawer and draw it on Mike as he comes into the same room she's in.


Next we pick up with last issue where we last saw Rick, Hulk, and The Leader (not to be confused with the founder of the Movementarians). Hulk is ripping through the machinery and rock, while Rick is surprised to be alive. Rick tells Hulk that we can find a cure for him just like with him. But the Hulk doesn't ever want to be human. He tells Rick that it was just a coincidence that Hulk took the brunt of the blast from the overloading machine from last issue, just like it was a concidence that Rick was there with Banner at the beginning and brought about the birth of the Hulk. For this Hulk tells Rick .... "I guess in a way you gave me my life. So now whatever the reasons, I've given you yours. We're even. Next time I see you, I'll step on you.

As Rick decided to head back to gamma base, Hulk realizes that sunrise is only about an hour away. So he leaps as much as far away as in can in the opposite direction of the gamma base for fear they will find him when Banner comes out at daylight. So he surmises a way to put Banner out of commish for the day, until he can change back, that won't kill Banner or hurt him.


The next page we find the cops finding Banner laying on the liquor store floor surrounded by empty bottles. And, oh look, guess whose a cop? Our asshole wife beating antagonist Mike. So they take the nearly unconscious Banner back to county to sleep it off. Next we go to Rick making it to gamma base and filling Quartermain and Betty in on the situation with him being cured and Banner intentionally turning himself into the Hulk. After Betty and Rick have an argument, Hideko gives Betty a message that was left from her from Ramon, an apparent ex-husband. (In case I am either forgetting I have mentioned him appearing before, or if I actually haven't mentioned it.)

In a page and half or so we see Stern/The Leader talking head telling Banner/Hulk about his studies in the type of gamma radiation that effected them and how it has fluctuated in the past and why there is a change by day and night between Banner and the Hulk now. To make it short, it isn't the sun that is effecting Banner/Hulk, it's the moon, which is just reflected sunlight. So unlike werewolves where the full moon makes them stronger, it's a new moon, with less sunlight reflecting that makes the Hulk the stronger and more dominate of the two. To where Hulk could subconsciously effect the thoughts of Banner.

Soon Banner is awake in his prison. He warns the police; Mike and another policeman, that they need to get him back to base. Mike's ego of course, tells him he can handle anything, especially some "sawed-off runt" (apparently Sabretooth didn't get the copyright on the term) and chooses to not heed Banner's warning. Of course, he changes to the Hulk and Hulk "escorts" Mike out of the police station via a large plate glass window. With the town watching Mike still tries to take the Hulk down. And Hulk pulls his punches but not his insults. Mike won't stand down and Hulk's personality ain't gonna let him either. By the time Mike is on his last leg, and Hulk is ready to pound him again he notices all the townspeople egging Hulk on to take out Mike.

Thought bubble: "Look at 'em Banner. You tell me who the real monster is."

Then Blaire shows up with a gun, pointed at Hulk. She threatens Hulk telling him to get away from Mike. "I made a promise a lifetime ago to him. Now back off!" Hulk surmises that there is more to these too. Perhaps (whether it is still canon or not I don't know) that Banner was a victim of abuse too. Hulk says "I can see it in your eyes, you want what they want deep down. He makes you miserable. Let me finish him for you. It's what you really want."

Of course when Blaire goes to Mike's aid after getting his ass handed to him by Hulk, his ego is so fragile that he lashes out at her in front of Hulk and the townspeople. After he beat her consistantly and then still comes to his rescue he's still the scared little fragile [expletive deleted] that he's always been ....


Last page is Betty meeting up with Ramon at a local bar. Betty says "Sometimes I think I don't know anything. Talk to me Ramon. Make me feel needed. Special. Like you use to."

"Babe, that's what I do best."


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I have to say I had forgotten just how much adult and serious thing this issue had. There was several pages of outright physical and emotional abuse of Blaire and Mike's had. Even at the end, even when he decided to leave the town (which I think I forgot to mention in my synopsis, which is why she saw him fighting Hulk) she came to his rescue against all odds. A real live monstrous Hulk stood between her and the man that abused her for who knows how long and she takes his side. I take it from the final page that it was meant to be ambiguous as whether Blaire shot Mike on accident or on purpose. I guess that is what Mr David wanted the reader to decide on their own, in how they took Blaire as a person as we watched this part of her life. So not just abuse in a relationship but we also see the long lasting effects that it has the abuser and abused. Mike was incapable of backing off out of pride. Blaire trapped in an abusive relationship and still took his side when she wouldn't even have had to do anything but turn her back and Hulk would have done it.

This is a part of the grey Hulk and Fixit I like. They may steal, and indulge in flesh and do selfish things. But despite that, even as evil as Hulk is, he can still recognize other evil like he did in Mike. And that "evil" in him, allows him to quash Mike without hesitation, not just for the satisfaction himself, but to give Blaire some relief. Maybe she could find happiness again without having to pull the trigger. Or maybe she wanted to. Maybe that was the last straw and she wanted retribution.

"...you thought you alone, but you see, there's monsters everywhere."


Next -- "Grave Circumstances!"

Incredible Hulk #335
September 1987
Story -- Peter David
Pencils -- John Ridgway
Letters -- Rick Parker
Colors -- Petra Scotese

"The Evil That Men Do"

The story begins narrated by the young lady in the panels. She speaks about how there is no safe place anywhere. There are monsters everywhere. Your parents lied to you when they said there were no monsters. In fact one is hiding under her bed. "Just looking at him made me feel like worms were under my skin, and then he ... he" Slashes are face with his clawed hands. "Just being near him filled my mind with pictures of rotting animal bodies and things crawling through them." She blindly lurches forward trying to run from her attacker. Until she runs into someone. She asks for help. She says there's a monster after her.


The monster demands that Hulk give her back to him. But upon seeing that Hulk is unaffected by his threats he then tries to convince Hulk to share in whatever he has in store for her. While they converse, a police car approchaes. Hulk and the monster are caught in the headlights along with the girl. As the policemen get out, the creature vanishes before them. Once the girl, named Adria Wagner, is safe with the police, Hulk leaps away.

In the next scene we find our next character, Gil, a gas station attendant. When someone pulls up for gas they talk about what happened to Adria and how bad things like that shouldn't happen in a small town.

Back to Adria in the hospital. Possibly never be able to see again. She questions the doctor with her about how see will get on with her life despite this handicap. And why people, the monster, would do things to people like he did. What creates these people that do horrible things to other people. The doctor tells her that we all have a dark and evil side, but it's just that some are in better control of theirs than others.

We go back to Gil, who after work purchases alcohol and horror movies. He goes home drinking and watching horror movies reminiscing about all the things his parents said that weren't true. But in the end, his parents both left him. They all did. Finally after drinking enough he passes out in his chair. And a ghostly spirit, looking much like the monster, rises from his unconscious body.


Hulk is waiting outside for him. The monster takes Hulk to a local place, where, since Hulk didn't want to hurt Adria the previous night, he can convince Hulk to kill someone else. In this case, four men who assaluted a girl a month ago and then were each other's alibi, so they got away with it. They were bragging about it to Gil. And the monster says whatever Gil hears, I hear. Hulk eggs the monster to take the four men out, so he crashes into the bar they were in and proceeds to do so. The monster leaves one for Hulk trying to convince him no one will miss such a vile scum of a person. Instead Hulk attacks the monster, who slips away at the last minute and then the chase starts.

The monster finds a car outside and throwing out the occupants, takes off trying to get away from Hulk. But Hulk easily pursues him. The monster, thinking he gave Hulk the slip, turns to find he is right in front of him, crashing the car into Hulk. He escapes the car before Hulk gets him and starts back to Gil's house, screaming for him to wake up. But Gil's still too drunk to wake up. And Hulk catches up with him.


In the epilogue we find that thanks to laser surgery Adria has a good chance of recovery at least partial eye sight back. We also find out that Gil is in some unexplained reason never woke up and is in some kind of coma. "The evil that men do live after them. The good is oft interred with their bones."

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I like that this issue read like a creature feature episode of X-Files or a random Twilight Zone episode. David does good with this story, showing there is more of a grey area between Hulk and Banner than either of them want to admit. This is probably one of the first ones, where we see the Hulk having no other ulterior motive for saving Adria or punishing Gil's dark side. Most of the time, like when he "saved" Rick from being the other Hulk, he said he was just trying to help the Leader because he was going to help Hulk get rid of Banner. This encounter shows that Hulk has some feelings of right in wrong. Even back in #333 Hulk would have killed Blaire's abusive husband without a second thought. Though most people wouldn't fault him for it, killing when not self defense is murder. But Hulk didn't care about that. And even then, he was only doing it because Michael attacked him first and Hulk has those two excuses as to why he would have killed him. Those reasons may not be enough for one of us to kill someone even if we could, but it still showed Hulk understand right and wrong, it's just that in that case it was something he wanted to do so it was justified. But in this case, his compassion for Adria and his contempt for Gil's dark side were real reflections of Hulk and Banner together. Both of them struggling to be dominate, but both a bit more like each other than they want to admit.

One of my favorite of the series. There's a few more that are more like creature feature episodes and one of them also another favorite of mine. But it is a little ways down the road.

Next -- "X-tremes!" guest starring X-Factor

I don't remember the X-Factor cross over, so maybe it was pretty forgettable. I liked the cover to the first issue, which is Geiger + Mcleod. I guess I'll find out what I don't remember if I get a chance to do them in the next couple of days.

I think that was, at least by looking at the covers, the post #340 issues, right before Purves took over in issue 347. Those were really some monstrosities of a Hulk. :-) Probably the worst covers of the bunch. Though I didn't like the Simonson ones either, which is unusual, since I like most everything of his.

Incredible Hulk #336 & 337
Oct/Nov. 1987

Story -- Peter David
Pencils -- Todd McFarlane
Inks -- Jim Sanders III
Letters -- Rick Parker
Colors -- Petra Scotese

I'm not going to spend too much time on the scenario, but I'll give a brief overview.

On this day as the sun rises, Hulk hasn't time to but Banner in a precarious situation, so he tries at the last minute to cave a nearby building hoping to cover up Banner. (Though I am not sure how he'd be able to precision collapse a building on Banner and not kill him.) Anyway, someone pulls him from the building before it collapses, when he sees Hulk change to Banner. He intends to call X-Factor, hoping there is some finder's fee for who he thinks is a mutant.

So Cyclops, Jean and Iceman go to where the caller is from. Iceman sees Banner while it's still day, and he mistakes Iceman (Bobby) as a Shield agent and runs. By the time they catch up with Banner, it's sunset and the Hulk is out.

Now the battle begins. It carries over to a printing plant when Cyclops blasts Hulk in mid leap and the trajectory lands Hulk through the roof of the building. X-Factor can see the difference in Hulk, not just visually, but in the ferocious nature in which Hulk fights. Cyclops thinks Hulk is "absolutely vicious" in his attacks. At one point they collapse a huge stack of paper rolls on Hulk, which conveniently hurt not one of the workers despite that the avalanche of paper is described as being a "continuing impact that shakes the building like an earthquake".


Iceman is finally able to contain Hulk in such a cold thick ice that he cannot escape. Cyclops decides, against his better judgement to call Shield to come pick up Banner. On the last page we find Quartermain in front of view screen, with the Shield directors telling him to put an end to the Hulk's menace permanently.

Before Shield arrives, Cyclops cuts the ice around Hulk and they load him into a truck with Iceman in the back keeping the ice cold so it doesn't melt. Meanwhile, Quartermain is in conflict with himself about having to kill Banner to rid the world of the Hulk. But just as they arrive at gamma base, Hulk breaks through the ice and starts kicking ass. But in the end, through team work, X-Factor and Doc Samson secure Hulk in kinetic bonds.

X-Factor, with Rick and Doc try and convince themselves that they are doing the right thing. While Hulk tells them that Shield is corrupt as hell and has been making gamma bombs for the government and will kill Banner the minute he changes back, because that's what he'd do in their shoes. Which is exactly what is planned to happen when Shield's agents and the remaining Hulkbusters with grudges plan when they confront X-Factor, Rick and the Doc.

But Samson, ala his Biblical namesake, literally brings the house down.


With that distraction X-Factor and Rick escape, holding off Shield and Hulkbuster's advances on them. Finally X-Factor, Rick and Hulk tear through a wall to escape gamma base, only to be in time for sunrise. And there waiting is Shield ready to execute Banner. But while the previous battles were raging, Quartermain was running around the base, setting multiple bombs. The explosions provided enough distraction, that they were able to escape Shield's agents. Only the Doc was left behind. Though the last panels reveal that he survived the blasts.

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I think the art team did great on these issues. The battles with X-Factor and Hulk were nicely done, with real good sequential panels to illustrate the action. McFarlane's actual Hulk seems a bit more medium ground, even though he kind of goes back to the more grotesque Hulk before he leaves the book all together. David also does good with (if not I am sure with some conference with the art team) writing Hulk absolutely vicious and arrogant. He antagonizes and goads, while having the malicious streak and strength to back it up. He's, in his mind, far more dangerous than his green forerunner. I think writing in him being weaker in strength was probably the only way to write stories short of him destroying the world. Imagine grey Hulk's viciousness, intelligence, disregard for life, and guerilla tactics added to green Hulk's immense and ever growing strength.

That being said, the story itself seemed like a blatant cross over to sell the book. I don't know if Hulk wasn't selling well initially when David took over, but I know X-Men characters have always been consistently popular with the majority of comic book readers through out time. So maybe this was an attempt to do so. Or was it Hulk selling X-Factor? In hopes to get people to read X-Factor? I dunno, I wasn't reading comics at that time, but I do like them both, since I've read them both during David and Simonson's runs.

Next -- Mercy Killing (and a very weird story to me, reading it the first time)

Thanks for the very well thought out analysis. I really have neglected this review thread. Hopefully I can get back on it soon and get it finished. Thanks again for your comment. It makes real sense with that issue's events.